Juliet’s eyes brightened. “You are getting good at this game, Theo. All right, you win. I may have dropped a sly little reference into a conversation I had with Caroline.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing much. It was ages ago.”

“You have an excellent memory,” I said. “What happened?”

“Caroline was planning some postpandemic European travel—Paris, Barcelona, blah blah blah—and it just came up. I asked if Berlin was on her itinerary, and she said she’d always wanted to go. I said that I supposed you never took her there because it would bring back tragic memories. Caroline thought I meant when you were a drug addict who flunked out of college, but I told her that I meant it because of your first wife.”

The room felt like it was spinning. I sucked in my breath. “What did she say?”

“She was upset. I said, ‘Didn’t Theo ever tell you about his first wife?’ She said no, never. I told her the family never talked about it, because it was such a dreadful story, what with her being murdered and all. She begged me for details, but I wouldn’t give them to her.”

“Did you tell her anything else?”

“Not a word. It drove her crazy.” Juliet smiled. “She kept asking me, and all I’d say was, ‘It’s too tragic.’”

“Why would you do that?”

Juliet shrugged. “Caroline was always so smug. It was hateful. She had just spent an hour bragging to Father about some stupid award she was getting for philanthropy. You know how lavish she was with throwing Thraxton money around. Father thought it was wonderful news, of course. I couldn’t resist popping her bubble of perfection.”

“You were jealous of her.” I heard the echo of my father in my voice; he’d accused Juliet of jealousy at the church.

“What was there to be jealous of?” Juliet shot back. “Caroline was an anxious little mouse who didn’t fit in anywhere. She obsessed about every stupid little detail, whether it was a press release no one would read or what toothpaste to use. Am I the only person not surprised she had a heart problem? I’m amazed it didn’t give out earlier.”

Before I could respond, the phone on Juliet’s desk rang. She answered it.

“Yes, he’s right here,” Juliet said. “I’ll send him up.” She set the receiver down. “Father will see you now.”

I frowned. “I didn’t come here for him. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Well, he knows you’re in the building and wants to see you, which is more than I can say for myself. I have work to do, Theo. Go away.”

She pretended to look at something on her computer, but when I didn’t move, she slid her gaze in my direction again.

“Did you enjoy it?” I asked her.

“Enjoy what?”

“Being cruel to Caroline.”